Amazon gets involved in original content with Amazon Studios

Amazon today announced that it will be expanding the focus of Amazon Studios by accepting scripts for children's and comedy shows.

Amazon today announced that Amazon Studios, the company's original content arm, will expand its focus from films to original television series. Starting today, anyone is invited to head over to the new Amazon Studios page dedicated to original TV content and submit scripts for children's and comedy shows to Amazon. Amazon is requiring a five-page description plus a 22-minute pilot script for comedies (11-minute script for children's shows). The best of the submissions will be aired on Amazon's Instant Video platform.

This new program works much like Amazon Studios' existing film program, which allowed film makers to submit scripts to Amazon with the potential to receive $10,000 to make a "test" film and potentially turn their ideas into feature-length films. These scripts are being funneled through to Warner Bros., while the television scripts are going to stay "in-house."

Within 45 days, Amazon will either option the series for $10,000 and move it to its development slate for further development or offer the creator the opportunity to post the idea publicly for comment. At this point, a series is quite distant from airing on Amazon Instant Video, but the creator will receive $55,000 if the show goes into production. Amazon plans to option into their development slate one show per month, if not more.